


Dinner For Two

by ShayneyL



Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: Voyager
Genre: Cooking, Fluff, Food, Getting Together, M/M, Prompt Fic, Writer's Month 2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-18
Updated: 2020-08-18
Packaged: 2021-03-06 05:02:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 879
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25964050
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShayneyL/pseuds/ShayneyL
Summary: Tom Paris has a new hobby: cooking.  He invites Harry Kim over for dinner.  Harry's not sure what to expect.
Relationships: Harry Kim/Tom Paris
Comments: 5
Kudos: 20
Collections: Writer's Month 2020





	Dinner For Two

**Author's Note:**

> Writer's Month 2020, Day 17. The prompt is "cooking."
> 
> Several early P/K fics had Tom beginning his seduction of Harry by cooking for him. That seemed OOC to me at the time, because Tom didn't seem like the type to cook, and there were no kitchens in people's quarters anyway. But then came "Macrocosm," where Tom volunteers to take over the galley when Neelix goes on an away mission. So apparently, Tom likes to cook. And in "Human Error," we see a kitchen in crew quarters. It's in a holodeck simulation, but presumably it's an option in reality, too.
> 
> Also, there used to be a web site that kept track of every mention on food on _Voyager_. Tom Paris talked about food way more than any other character, including Neelix. Tom loves his food, so I could see him liking cooking as well.

☾ ⋆*･ﾟ:⋆*･ﾟ: *⋆.*:･ﾟ .: ⋆*･ﾟ: .⋆｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Tom stopped at Harry's station on the way to his own. "You busy tonight?"

"No, I don't think so." He had orchestra practice with Sue Nicoletti tomorrow, and volleyball the next night, but tonight was free.

"Good. Dinner tonight. My quarters. 1900 hours." Without waiting for a reply, Tom sauntered to the front of the bridge and took his post.

Tom had yet another new hobby, that had been taking up most of his off hours. This time, it was cooking. It appeared Harry was going to be the guinea pig for his efforts. He made a mental note to grab some fruit and cookies from the mess hall at lunch, in case Tom proved to be a terrible cook.

* * *

Tom's door slid open before Harry even had to signal. "Hungry?" Tom asked. He was stirring something on his new stove.

If Harry hadn't been hungry before, he would be now. Whatever Tom was cooking smelled wonderful. "Wow," Harry said, looking at the changes Tom had made to his quarters. No wonder Harry hadn't seen much of Tom lately. He'd been busy. There was a kitchen where his dining table had been. The table was in the area that had been a library of sorts.

"Where are your books?" he asked.

"I put them in the bedroom," Tom said. "What do you think?"

"Looks great," Harry said. A kitchen was an option for officer's quarters, but not many chose it. It had probably cost Tom a lot of replicator rations to add this kitchen. Not to mention the pots and pans, utensils, ingredients… He noticed Tom had even replicated an apron. It said "Kiss the Cook."

"What made you decide to take up cooking?" Harry asked. He wondered if Tom would lose interest, and all this expensive gear would end up gathering dust, or be recycled.

"I've always been interested in cooking," Tom said. "Dad thought every competent adult should know how to cook from scratch. Plus, you know…I love food."

That was true. Harry had never met anyone as interested in food as Tom was. And he had eclectic tastes, from pizza and french fries to pheasant under glass. 

Tom handed him a glass of wine. "Sit down, the appetizer will be ready in a minute."

The appetizer was delicious: crostini spread with bleu cheese, topped with thin slices of fresh, juicy Kaferian apple and toasted walnuts. "This is amazing. I had no idea you could cook like this."

"One of my many hidden talents."

Though Tom's reply was flip, he seemed…nervous. Was he afraid Harry wouldn't like the food?

The next course was salad, and it was just as good. "Baby greens, orange slices, and fennel shavings, with a citrus vinaigrette. Oh, wait, I forgot the honey-glazed tera nuts."

"This is incredible," Harry said. "The captain should have put you in charge of the galley instead of Neelix."

"Don't even think it," Tom said. "It wouldn't be fun if it was my job. I only cook for people who are important to me." His gaze held Harry's.

Harry was speechless for a moment. What did Tom mean? Before he could decide, Tom was gone, back in the kitchen. "The entree is lobster risotto with grated tula and parmesan cheeses." He put a dish down in front of Harry with a flourish.

Harry wouldn't have thought it was possible, but the entree, lusciously creamy and studded with chunks of sweet, buttery lobster, was even better than the earlier courses. "This is the best food I've ever eaten." He scraped his plate, even though he knew it was not good manners. He couldn't bear to waste a morsel.

Tom flushed at the compliment. "Thanks, Har." Though he smiled, he still seemed nervous. "Save room for dessert."

"Tom...are you okay?" 

"Yeah." Tom ran a hand through his hair. "It's just...I have something I have to tell you." 

Before Harry could respond, Tom was gone, back to the kitchen. He came back with a plate, which he put in the middle of the table.

Dessert was chocolate mousse served in chocolate cups. Heart-shaped chocolate cups. Harry stared at them in surprise, then looked up to meet Tom's anxious gaze.

"Harry," he said. "I…I've fallen in love with my best friend."

Harry's brain struggled to process this. "Me?"

"Yes, that would be you."

"I...never thought of us that way…"

Tom looked disappointed, but not surprised. "It's okay, Harry. I understand. That's why I waited until dessert. You always lose your appetite when you're upset, and it would be a shame if…"

He really was adorable, Harry realized. "Tom…"

"Probably dumb of me even to ask, but I had to try, you know? It's okay, you're probably better off with Jenny Delaney anyway…"

"Tom…"

"But I hope you enjoy the mousse anyway, it's really good, we can still be friends, even if—"

"Tom! Stop babbling." Tom finally stopped talking. "I never thought about it," Harry said, "but that doesn't mean it's not a good idea."

Tom's mouth dropped open, then he broke into a blinding smile.

Harry leaned toward him. "I'm going to do what your apron said, and kiss the cook."

He did, and it was the best dessert ever.


End file.
